One more note on the TED Talk from yesterday about Nancy Frates’ story about the ALS Ice-Bucket Challenge.
A few weeks ago I defined leadership as using the gifts God has given you to bring out the gifts of others in order to accomplish great things in and for the world God loves so much. And I stand by that. But as I listened to Nancy Frates, I was also struck by the determination of her son to seize the opportunity in his ALS to make a difference.
We don’t often think of tragedy as presenting opportunity of course, but Pete Frates did. In fact, he refused not to see an opportunity. And I think that’s part of being a...

I wanted to follow up on one brief element of Susan Colantuono’s TED Talk on the Missing Third of Leadership that I posted yesterday.
In particular, while she was identifying the missing third – that is, the strategic, operational and financial acumen and ability to execute mission and achieve goals – I want to tarry a bit with the other two, the two elements she believes we usually focus on.
She defines these two as 1) using the greatness in you to 2) bring out the greatness in others. What strikes me about this formulation is, first, it’s a great shorthand definition of leadership in general and, second, that it may take some...

Although Susan Colantuono TED Talk is pitched particularly to women, it’s something men and women can profit from…and especially in the church. Colantuono talks about the “missing third” of leadership. She makes the case that, particularly when it comes to the advice given to women in middle management positions, we’re clear that it’s important to develop one’s own skills and talent, and we’re clear that it’s also important to develop our networks and relationships. But we don’t always value another essential dimension of leadership – that is, how to follow through on...

Of the various subjects I’m asked to teach or present on at various gatherings and conferences, the one that is most frequently requested is about the massive amount of cultural change we have experienced in recent decades and the implications of that for our lives in the Church. Given the significant decline in so many of our congregations and overall attendance in worship, I can understand why folks, myself included, are working hard to better understand the nature of the culture in which we live so that we may respond faithfully to the challenges and opportunities it presents.
At some point in these gatherings, I always say two things....

4. Don’t Give Too Much Attention to Troublemakers
During the first World Cup match I watched this year, I was struck that when a fan came streaking onto the field to cause a ruckus, the cameras moved away. That is, we didn’t actually see the ruckus, we only heard about it briefly. One of the commentators mentioned that this was per FIFA’s instructions. While I have plenty of critique for the way FIFA is run, they’re definitely onto something here. For when you give troublemakers the attention they seek, you inspire more people to make trouble.
I think leaders – in congregations, schools, businesses, and the home – can learn a lot...

Over the last two days, I’ve written posts about leadership and change – in particular, about transformative change and the kind of leadership necessary to engage in the disruption that is part and parcel of transformation. I think all of this is true and important and valuable and that this kind of leadership is, frankly, quite rare.
But I also think there’s a danger in focusing on the rare leader who can inspire transformative change. Or, indeed, focusing on any element of leadership that seems rare and unique. Because the thing is, each of us is called to lead every day. More than that, each of us can and does lead already,...

One of the attributes that I think is woefully undervalued in leadership is the capacity to be surprised. That may, I know, sound like an odd capacity to lift up and perhaps seems like a rather mundane thing on which to focus. After all, aren’t all of us regularly surprised by all kinds of things all of the time?
Yes…and no. Do things regularly happen that we didn’t expect? Sure. And do we venture into experiences that we’d not had before and are therefore surprised. Absolutely.
But that’s not quite the kind of surprise I’m talking about. What I really mean is the willingness to have our expectations defied, even overturned. To...

Attitude is everything.
You’ve probably heard that from teachers, coaches, and parents on numerous occasions over the years. But I’m still going to say it once more. Attitude is everything…because attitude is finally about perspective and vision. Your attitude – and in particular how you decide to frame situations – largely determines what you see and thereby how you might respond.
The following brief video — less than 3 minutes — offers a great example of this axiom in action by inviting us to confront challenges differently. One way – the usual way – to approach challenges is to start by defining them as problems....

When you watch the following short video, notice what happens to the people who come up to conduct.
A little background to put this request into context. This video, produced by ImprovEverywhere, invites people to take a turn at the stand and conduct a Carnegie Hall Orchestra. There’s a group of musicians, a milling crowd, and a music stand with the invitation, “CONDUCT US”.
Their expressions are priceless. Often a bit disbelieving at first, as in “you want me to do what?” Then a turn to nervousness or tentativeness, but usually then another turn toward enjoyment, and sometimes delight and passion and confidence to boot.
I think...

Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the...

I’ve been struck recently – recently as in the last 10 years or so! – by how frequently I hear people (and especially people in the church) name the challenges in front of us “problems.”
We have a problem in church attendance.
Biblical illiteracy is the problem.
The problem is that people have a poor understanding of stewardship.
Etc.
I understand this urge. Faced with a challenge – and even more a challenge that has at its heart a threat – we tend to turn to our problem solving skills. That makes sense: we are, I believe, by evolutionary disposition and experience very capable problem-solvers. (Evolution definitely favors the...